Ceilings or walls



June 1, 1965 P. B. BLOOD 3,186,129

EILINGS OR WALLS Filed May 1 62 United States Patent 3,186,129 CEILINGS 0R WALLS Peter Bindon Blood, Slough, England, assignor to lsora Illuminating Ceilings Limited, Slough, England, a British company Filed May 15, 1962, Ser. No. 194,859 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov. 15, 1961, 40,871/ 61 Claims. (Cl. 50-267) This invention relates to ceilings and walls composed of readily-removable panels which are supported on a gridwork. In particular, the invention is concerned with ceilings in which the panels each comprise a plastic sheet or film stretched over a rigid frame, the panels being supported on a light steel or aluminium-alloy gridwork which is suspended below the roof or true ceiling of the building or other structure.

The plastic sheets or films of the panels have hitherto been secured to the individual frames by cords, bands, wires or cables which are tied around the peripheral portion of the plastic material after it has been stretched over the frame, and which then extend along and within one or more grooves in the peripheral portion of the metal frame. By this arrangement, the thin plastic sheet passes over and around the outer edges of the frame, and it has been found in practice that this frequently causes chafing and therefore splitting of the plastic material during transport of the frames to the site or while the frames are being assembled on the supporting gridwork or removed from it.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantage, and according to the invention the plastic sheet or film is provided with a reinforced border of such a shape that the film can be pulled over and snapped on to its frame. By this means the disadvantage mentioned above is effectively overcome.

In a preferred ceiling or wall in accordance with the invention, each panel has two spaced-apart substantially parallel layers of flexible sheet material both of which are stretched across the frame. A ceiling or wall built up of panels having this double layer of sheet material has a number of advantages. In the first place, the enclosed air gap between the layers provides excellent thermal insulation for the room or other space where the ceiling or wall is being used. A second attractive feature in the case of ceilings provided with two layers of translucent material is that dust which collects on the top layers of the panels is not visible from below the ceiling, while electric lighting located above the ceiling is properly diffused as it passes through the two layers of the panels into the room below.

By way of example, the accompanying drawing shows a typical ceiling in accordance with the invention. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an underneath perspective view of part of the ceiling;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of one of the ceiling panels shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURES 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views illustrating constructional details of the panel shown in FIGURE 2.

The ceiling shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a number of rectangular panels each of which has two layers 12 and 14 of translucent PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic material which are stretched over the upper and lower edges 16 and 18 (see FIGURE 3) of a rectangular sheet-metal frame 20. The distance between the upper and lower edges 16 and 18 of the frame is preferably in the region of about 1 inch so that a correspondinglythick air gap is formed between the two layers 12 and 14.

The panels described above are supported on a strip- 3,l8fi,l2 Fatented June 1, I965 ICC metal gridwork 22 having rectangular openings. The metal strips of the grid are preferably of T-section so that the panels can be easily located on the horizontal surfaces 24, and have V-shaped lower surfaces 26 to enhance the attractiveness of the ceiling. The panels can be readily removed from the gridwork for cleaning or repair, and one of the panels in FIGURE 1 is shown in a partially-removed position. The gridwork is supported with the aid of tie-rods 28 or other suitable means and connecting members 30, which are of cruciform shape or T-shape in plan view, are used to connect the metal strips of the gridwork where they meet or cross one another.

FIGURE 3 and 4 illustrate the manner in which the plastic films or layers 12 and 14 are attached to the metal frame 29 of each panel. It will be seen that the border portions 32 of the plastic films each comprise a fairly thick plastic strip having an inwardly-facing groove 34 (see FIGURE 4) which receives a peripheral edge 36 on the rim of the frame. The main portion of the plastic film is bonded to this border strip at 33 by a high-frequency heat treatment, by an infra-red heat treatment, or by an adhesive. The plastic films have a certain inherent elasticity so that, during assembly of the panels, they can be pulled over and snapped on to the metal frames 20.

The advantages of panels constructed in the manner described above are quite numerous. In the first place, the panels are now far better able to withstand the treatment which they are liable to receive while they are being assembled on the supporting gridwork or removed therefrom. In this connection it has to be borne in mind that the panels are removed every so often for the purpose of having them washed. A still more important advantage is that the plastic sheets can be attached to the frames on the site and can therefore be packaged and transported separately. This also means that, should it become necessary to replace the plastic film on one of the panels of a ceiling, the replacement film can be sent to the customer to enable him to fit it on the panel as this is a comparatively simple operation.

In view of the fact that the reinforced border 32 of the plastic film is in the form of a thicker plastic strip bonded to the film, a dual-color scheme can be used with the plastic film being of one color and the border strip of another color. It is also possible however to use, for example, a rubber border strip or a plastic-coated stretchable cord or cable, the main requirement being that the marginal fastening means for the film now form an integral part therewith so that the separate cords 01 wires formerly used are no longer necessary.

It is not essential for the panels to be provided with a double layer of sheet material, as in some instances only a single layer may be used. However, a ceiling or wall built up of panels having a double layer of sheet material has the advantage that the enclosed air gap between the layers provides excellent thermal insulation for the room or other space where the ceiling or wall is being used. In addition, dust which collects on the top layers of the panels is not visible from below the ceiling, while artificial or natural light falling on the ceiling from above is diffused more effectively than in the case of single layer panels as the light passes through the two layers of the panels into the room below.

The sheet material will normally be PVC synthetic plastic, but other flexible sheet materials such as woven cotton or linen fabrics, rubberized fabric, or polyethylene sheeting can be used instead. The material can be transparent, translucent or opaque, and in some instances it may be provided with a thin metallic surface film.

I claim:

1. A ceiling comprising a strip-metal gridwork having said lower surface of said frame in a state of tension,

a thickened synthetic plastic border extending continuously around the periphery of said sheet and containing a continuous groove which opens in a direction parallel with said sheet and is dimensioned to receive said flange, the portions of said continuous groove'which extend along opposite edges of said sheet-opening towards each other, said continuous flange being received in said continuous groove in the border of said sheet, said sheet of flexible synthetic plastic material and said thickened border portion thereof being readily removable from said frame and having an inherent elasticity whereby said sheet may be stretched across said frame and said grooved border portion snapped on to said lower peripheral edge of said frame.

2. A ceiling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet is made of translucent polyvinyl chloride plastic sheet material.

3. A ceiling comprising a strip-metal gridwork having rectangular openings, a plurality of rectangular ceiling 1 panels removably supported on said gridwork with each rectangular opening in said gridwork being closed by one of said panels, said panels each comprising a rectangular metal frame with outwardly projecting upper and lower peripheral flanges extending continuously around said frame and forming upper and lower surfaces, the pertions of the upper and lower flanges on opposed sides of said rectangular frame extending outwardly in respective planes in opposite directions, a first'sheet of flexible synthetic plastic material extending across the lower surface of said frame in a state of tension, a second sheet of flexible synthetic plastic material extending associated flange of the frame, the portions of the continuous groove which extend along opposite edges of each sheet opening towards one another, each continuous flange being received'in the continuous groove in the border of the associated sheet, said sheets'of flexible synthetic plastic material and said thickened border portions thereof being readily removable from said frame and having an inherent elasticity whereby said sheets may be stretched across said frame and said grooved border portionssnapped onto said lower peripheral edge and to said upper peripheral edge respectively'of said frame. I

4. A ceiling as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distance between said two parallel sheets of each panel is in the region of one inch.

5. A ceiling as claimed in claim 3,'wherein said sheets are made of translucent polyvinyl chloride plastic sheet material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,843 12/33 Randall 189-85 1,959,262 5/34 Colabrese 22069 2,857,631 10/58 Zingone 189-85 X 2,921,814 1/60 Mede 50-267 X 2,925,862 2/60 Sundby 160354 2,969,618 1/61 Ratner et al 50267 2,981,382 4/61 Keller 20-565 X 2,981,386 4/61 Reske et al. 189--85 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,091,635 11/54 9 France. 1,221,854 1/60 France.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner. JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

1. A CEILING COMPRISING A STRIP-METAL GRIDWORK HAVING RECTANGULAR OPENINGS, A PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR CEILING PANELS REMOVABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID GRIDWORK WITH EACH RECTANGULAR OPENING IN SAID GRIDWORK BEING CLOSED BY ONE OF SAID PANELS, SAID PANELS EACH COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR METAL FRAME WITH AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING LOWER PERIPHERAL FLANGE EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY AROUND SAID FRAME AND FORMING A LOWER SURFACE, THE PORTIONS OF SAID FLANGE ON OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID RECTANGULAR FRAME EXTENDING OUTWARDLY IN THE SAME PLANE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, A SHEET OF FLEXIBLE SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL EXTENDING ACROSS SAID LOWER SURFACE OF SAID FRAME IN A STATE OF TENSION, A THICKENED SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BORDER EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SHEET AND CONTAINING A CONTINUOUS GROOVE WHICH OPENS IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL WITH SAID SHEET AND IS DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE SAID FLANGE, THE PORTIONS OF SAID CONTINUOUS GROOVE WHICH EXTEND ALONG OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID SHEET OPENING TOWARDS EACH OTHER, SAID CONTINUOUS FLANGE BEING RECEIVED IN SAID CONTINUOUS GROOVE IN THE BORDER OF SAID SHEET, SAID SHEET OF FLEXIBLE SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL AND SAID THICKENED BORDER PORTION THEREOF BEING READILY REMOVABLE FROM SAID FRAME AND HAVING AN INHERENT ELASTICITY WHEREBY SAID SHEET MAY BE STRETCHED ACROSS SAID FRAME AND SAID GROOVED BORDER PORTION SNAPPED ON TO SAID LOWER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID FRAME. 